Razor blade holder



Jan. 10, 1939. I c w CQLLVER 7 2,143,053

RAZOR BLADE HOLDER Filed A ril 22, 1957 lmrenfor CLAREncE W. 001.1.1/512Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to holders for safety razor blades eithersingle or double edge for the purpose of stropping such blades.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple holder towhich the blades may be readily and conveniently secured for stroppingand wherein they are securely held in the holder during this operation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to simplify and expeditethe process of stropping the blade, wherein the desired results may beobtained without the necessity of rolling the holder turn for eachstroke.

In the present invention the operator simply presses the thumb on theholder and over the blade at the same time gripping the handle, drawingthe blade across the strop 4, 5 or 6 times while in this position. Theholder is then reversed and held in the same manner and the stroppingdone with reverse strokes, the thumb being used to secure the desiredstrop pressure against the blade.

One of the objects of the present invention is to inaugurate an entirelynew method of stropping safety razor blades. A method which is not onlysafer but is more efiicientthan the old method and one which, withordinary eifort, will provide a keener edge and smoother shave, andextend the life of the blade for almost an indefinite period.

To these and other useful ends my invention consists of parts andcombinations thereof or their equivalents as described, claimed andshown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of my invention showing a well knowndouble edge blade in the stropping position.

Fig. 2 is a front or edge view of the device as illustrated in Figure 1,but minus the blade.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front end view of the device as shown in Figures 1and 2.

Fig. 4 is a section of the handle and blade locking plate taken on line4-4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a fractional view partially sectioned, of a holder and handlesimilar to that shown in the other figures and having a modified form oflooking device.

As thus illustrated I provide a handle member designated by numeral I,which is preferably made from fiat stock and folded, forming a seam asat 2 the shape of the handle in cross section being preferably as shownin Figure 4. I provide a slot 3 in the handle, the purpose of which willhereinafter appear.

The forward end of the handle designated by numeral 4, is preferablymade U shaped as clearly illustrated in Figure 3, and being adaptedtoembrace the blade holding member 5 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.This blade holding member is also U shaped, the lips converging andbeing tapered as at 66, leaving an open gap 1 suitable for the receptionof the razor blade.

Member 5 has thereon a out free portion I2 which is bent inwardly atright angles as illustrated in Figure 3, extending into or through anopening I3 in the opposite side of member 5. Cutaway portion It providesmeans for observing the proper-position of the blade whereby member I2may be caused to enter the adjacent depression I I in the blade. Thusthe outer end of the blade will be securely held into position. Iprovide a cutaway portion I4 in member 5 and on the same side of theholder as member I3, whereby the depression I I at the other end of theblade may be observed.

I provide a holding plate I5 having a bolt I6 which passes through slot3, as clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 2. A nut I! is screw threadedon bolt I5 whereby member I5 may be locked in its forward or rearwardposition. To secure the rear end of blade I I! to the holder, all thatis necessary is to push member I5 forward by pressure on nut I! so'tnefront end of plate I 5 will fit into depression I I, thus the inner endof the blade will be securely held into position after nut I! is madetight.

Thus it will be seen by scrutinizing Figure 1, that the blade issecurely held into position and cannot be dislodged after which theoperator may with safety strop the blade on each side as herebeforerecited.

One of the advantages of applicants device is that it is narrow so theangle of contact between the blade and strop may be adjusted by theoperator by simply pulling more or less on the strop. If, however, thehandle and holder were made wide as is the custom in devices of thekind, the strop will contact the blade edge at too great an angle andthe life of the blade will be considerably shortened by quickly forminga blunt cutting edge.

When stropping a new blade, the operator may hold the strop taut so asto preserve for a time the original long edge and then reduce thetension on the strop as the blade becomes worn. Thus it will be seenthat a narrow handle or holder is particularly adapted for the method ofstropping as herebefore recited because in one way stropping, thenatural tendency is to keep the strop taut.

Referring now to Figure 5. Handle 20 is pro- 2 vided with a slot 2|which is somewhat wider than slot 3. The holding blade means on thishandle is similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. I provide alocking plate 22 having a U shaped projection 23 which extends throughslot 2i as illustrated.

I provide a V shaped spring having arms 24-44 and a U shaped projection25 on its center which is adapted to be embraced by member 23. The freeends of members 24 are suitably rounded as at 26-26 and the spring isshaped whereby when it is inserted into the handle, the arms will exertconsiderable pressure against member 22 whereby this member will remainin whatever position it is moved to. Thus clearly the blade may belocked by moving member 23 forward and unlocked by moving this member inthe opposite direction.

One of the advantages of the device illustrated in Figure 5 is that itis simple and projection 23 is considerably smaller than nut ll so thatit cannot by any means contact the strop or inconvenience the operator.

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particularstyle of blade shown in Figure 1. My device may be adapted to hold asingle edge blade in which case member 5 will be considerably narrowerand the back edge of the blade made to rest against stops in the holder,the holding member l2 and plate IE or 22 resting on the projection atthe dull edge of the blade. When my device is to be made suitable forsingle edge blades, I may elect to form the handle and blade holdingmeans from a single fiat piece of metal. Such blades are quite narrowand stock which is wide enough for the handle will, when formed, be Wideenough for the blade holding means also.

It will further be understood that minor changes may be made in thevarious parts of the handle and holder without departing from the spiritand scope of this invention as recited in the appended claims.

Having thus shown and described my invention I claim:

1. A safety razor blade holder comprising in combination, an elongatedhandle member formed from a U-shaped piece of sheet metal, said piecebeing closed for a distance from one end to thereby form a hollowhandle, the remainder being left open, a U-shaped blade holder, theclosed side being embraced by and secured to said open end, said bladeholder being adapted to embrace the blade to be stropped leaving arelatively small portion of one cutting edge exposed, a stop on theouter end of said blade holder adapted to engage a notch on the adjacentend of the blade, a slot positioned in the closed edge of said handleand being in longitudinal alignment with and adjacent said blade holder,a slidably mounted member positioned under said slot and adapted tooptionally engage a notch on the adjacent end of the blade to bestropped and having a member which protrudes through said slot wherebythe slidable member may be manually moved into and out of engagementwith said second notch, a V-shaped spring positioned within said handle,the apex of said spring being in operative engagement with and adaptedto hold said slidable member in predetermined positions.

2. A safety razor blade holder comprising in combination, an elongatedhandle member formed from a U-shaped piece of sheet metal, said piecebeing closed for a distance from one end to thereby form a hollowhandle, the rema1n der being left open, a U-shaped blade holder, theclosed side being embraced by and secured to said open end, said bladeholder being adapted to embrace the blade to be stropped leaving arelatively small portion of one cutting edge exposed, a stop on theouter end of said holder adapted to engage a notch on the adjacent endof the blade, a slot positioned in the closed edge of said handle andbeing in longitudinal alignment with and adjacent said blade holder, aslidably mounted member positioned under said slot and adapted tooptionally engage a notch on the adjacent end of the blade to bestropped and having a member which protrudes through said slot, wherebythe slidable member may be manually moved into and out of engagementwith said second notch, means adapted to hold said slidable member inpredetermined positions.

CLARENCE W. COLLVER.

